Doing Your Cardiovascular Exercises Correctly

What Is Cardio Exercise?

Common cardio exercises are brisk walking, running, cycling, swimming, rowing, and cross-country skiing. In the gym, cardio machines include the Treadmill, elliptical trainer, stationary cycle, stepping machine, rowing machine, and ski trainer.

Exercises that are done primarily to build strength, such as lifting weights, using weight machines, resistance exercise, and core workouts, are usually not considered to be cardio exercises. They are intended to challenge strength, not cardiovascular endurance.

Warming Up and Stretching

Warming up before the more intense portion of your workout gets the blood flowing to your muscles and loosens you up. This is essential; you should not just start your workout at full effort.

Frequency of Cardio Exercise

The minimum recommended amount of cardiovascular exercise is 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, 75 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic exercise, or a combination. Exercise sessions should be spread throughout the week.

To give your body time to build and repair muscles, alternate intense or long cardio exercise sessions with a day of rest or easy exercise. An "easy day" might mean a slower walk, stretching, or yoga.

Duration of Cardio Exercise

How long should you exercise in each exercise session? For cardiovascular benefits, aim for 20 to 60 minutes in your target heart rate zone, apart from the time you spend in warm-up and cool-down. At this duration, your body burns through its available glycogen energy and begins to burn stored fat.

You will still burn calories if you exercise for less than 20 minutes in your zone. But the best fitness benefits come from spending 20 to 60 minutes in the aerobic zone.